Cursed Waltz
by Sailorstar165
Summary: Allen and Lenalee go to a ball for a mission. Little do they know the unfortunate events that await both of them. AllenxLenalee, AllenxOC
1. Recieving Orders

**Chapter 1: Receiving Orders**

Allen's eye reacted as soon as he and Lavi had entered the abandoned building. There was an Akuma hanging around.

He signaled for quiet as he glanced around the dilapidated room. The dim light didn't help, but his eye told him that the Akuma was upstairs. There had to be a someway to get up there.

Lavi tapped his shoulder and pointed to the rusted ladder that led to the balcony of the rundown factory. "Think it'll hold?" the future Bookman asked.

Allen shrugged. "It's worth a shot," he replied.

They didn't want to activate their Innocence yet. The light would give them away if their footsteps hadn't already. If there was one thing Allen had learned in his time as an exorcist, it was to always assume you hadn't been seen until you were positive you were.

The ladder, though old, was able to support their weight. They climbed soundlessly. Allen peeked over the top, hoping the top of his white head would only look like dust or a rat to the Akuma.

The Akuma they were after was a few feet from them. Its grotesque, almost human-like body shone bright white in the gloom, amplified by its glowing halos. It was busy killing some of the rats scurrying around, so it didn't notice Allen or Lavi's presence, even as they climbed all the way up.

Both exorcists nodded to each other and invoked their Innocence at the same time. The Akuma only had enough time to look up as they slammed their weapons into it. Still, it somehow managed to block without receiving much damage.

"So the exorcists finally arrive!" it laughed, blasting both of them with a bright purple light.

The fight continued with neither making much headway. The Akuma was getting damaged, but Allen and Lavi were getting exhausted. If it continued much longer, both wouldn't be able to keep fighting.

The Akuma seemed to realize this as well. It stepped up its attacks, desperately trying to finish the two exorcists. It dodged another swing of Lavi's hammer and ducked Allen's sword. It launched itself away from the two, widening the distance. "I'm getting bored," it said, "so I guess I'll be leaving. But just so you both don't miss me," it flicked something so quickly at Allen that the boy couldn't avoid whatever it was, "I'll leave you with a present!" With that, it broke through the roof and flew off into the distance.

"Damn it!" Lavi cursed. "It got away!" He turned when he heard Allen grunt in pain. "What's wrong?" he asked, rushing to his friend's aid.

"Whatever that Akuma threw ended up in my eye!" Allen grumbled, rubbing at it fiercely.

"You serious?" Lavi pulled his friend's hand away. It was true Allen's cursed eye was red, but the cause was more likely Allen's rubbing it rather than something actually being in it. "I don't see anything, Allen. Sure you didn't just get some dust in your eye during the fight?"

"Lavi, I'm serious!" Allen pulled back and started rubbing his eye again. "There's something in my eye, and it won't come out!"

"Well, I'm no eye doctor," Lavi admitted. He hadn't seen anything, but that didn't mean there wasn't something there. "Let's head back and have someone at the Order take a look."

Allen nodded, and they headed to back to Headquarters.

* * *

"Allen! Lavi!" Lenalee said happily when she saw them leave the Ark. "How was the mission? No one got hurt?"

"I'm a little worse for wear, but I'll live," Lavi replied with a gin. "Allen, on the other hand, swears he has something in his eye and won't stop rubbing it." He smacked Allen's hand away from it for the fifth time since they started back. "You're just making it worse," he scolded.

Allen was about to rub it again, but Lavi and Lenalee gave him a threatening look that stopped him in his tracks. He forced his hand to remain at his side and said, "There is something in my eye, and it's really starting to bother me." He looked helplessly at Lenalee.

Confused, Lenalee went closer to Allen. Their faces were inches apart, but Allen knew that this was not the time to feel awkward about the situation. She was just looking at his eye, after all. "I don't see anything," she said, "but that doesn't mean there's nothing wrong with it... Why don't you go to the Head Nurse and see if she has anything that might help?"

Nodding, Allen did as Lenalee suggested. Of course, Lenalee came too to make sure his hand was nowhere near his eye. It was already red and irritated, and if he kept messing with it, it would only make things worse.

"Head Nurse!" Lenalee called into the nurse's office. No one was injured at the moment or in urgent need of care, so she was sitting at her desk.

"Lenalee, what can I do for you?" the nurse asked, standing. "Are you feeling ill?"

"No," Lenalee replied. She gestured to Allen. "Something's up with Allen's eye, and he won't stop touching it."

The nurse frowned at Allen, who was just about to start rubbing at it again. The look made Allen drop his hand to his side.

After a brief eye roll and a shake of her head, the nurse told Allen to sit down in a chair. Once he'd complied, she took a closer look. "It's just a little irritated. Some dust or an eyelash probably fell into your eye and you rubbed it out. Any pain you're feeling now because of it is your own fault."

The nurse then went to a drawer and pulled out a small bottle. "Hold still, Walker, and don't blink." She took an eyedropper and put a small amount of the solution in Allen's eye.

Allen blinked furiously and was about to rub the liquid out, but once again froze when he received cold looks from both Lenalee and the nurse. He smiled sheepishly as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you," he said, still blinking out the excess medicine. "It's already feeling better." It was true, too. Allen didn't know if it was still red, but he did know that it had stopped hurting and itching. He stood to leave, but paused. "Um... Is it normal that I can't see out of it?"

"You can't see out of your eye?" Lenalee asked, surprised. The last time he'd been blind in his cursed eye was when Road had gouged it out, and it had regenerated relatively quickly. "That can't be good..."

The nurse thought a moment. "I'm sure it will be fine, Walker. The last time your eye was damaged, it healed itself completely. In fact, I'm sure it will be fine, considering you probably did it to yourself."

Allen glared a minute, then sighed. The nurse was probably right. He had been rubbing at it pretty hard. With a quick bow, he and Lenalee walked out of the office.

"Are we still on for tonight?" Lenalee said in a low whisper. Allen had to strain his ears just to catch it. She leaned against him and kissed him on the cheek gently. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't keep your promise."

Blushing, Allen said, "Of course we're still on!" He was just as quiet as Lenalee. He didn't want anyone overhearing and telling Komui about their discussion. After all, they'd been together four nights in the past two months they'd been secretly dating. If Komui found out now, Allen would be six feet under before anyone could even attempt to stop Komui's murderous rampage.

"I'm looking forward to it," Lenalee replied as she walked away.

It took all of five minutes for Allen to calm his speeding heart and stop blushing. Four nights together or not, Allen was still not used to having Lenalee as his lover nor being hers. It was a wonderfully electrifying feeling, but at the same time it was strange and uncomfortable sneaking around. He wished they could just tell her brother and have him understand, but they knew Komui would never allow it.

Smiling, he went to dinner. Even if it was risky, he wanted to see Lenalee again. He wanted to tell her again and again he loved her and be able to squeeze her tight and not have to let go.

* * *

The next morning, Allen and Lenalee walked to Komui's office. Allen was still amazed by how Lenalee could be so energetic despite their long night. He knew he was exhausted.

"Good morning, Allen!" Komui said brightly. "Didja sleep well?"

_It must be in the family_, Allen decided. "You said there was a mission for me?"

"Yes!" Komui pulled out a book with the briefing for Allen to follow along with. "You are going to go to Genevieve Lambert's coming out ball. According to—" he stopped. "Allen, is something wrong with your eye?"

Allen had been rubbing at his eye again. Lenalee smacked his hand. "There's something in it..." Allen began, but Lenalee interrupted.

"He keeps saying there's something in his eye, but Lavi, the head nurse, and I can't seem to find anything. He's been rubbing it so much that he's making it hurt himself." Lenalee gave Allen a cold look that sent shivers down his spine when he tried to rub his eye without her noticing. "We'll stop by the infirmary and see if she can do anything about it."

"So uh..." Allen said, trying hard not to think about his eye, "what's a _coming out_ party anyway?"

"It's when a rich girl becomes of marrying age. It's a way to show that she's old enough for men to make offers for her hand." Komui adjusted his glasses. "You're going to go and keep an eye out for anything strange or out of the ordinary."

"Why?"

"There are a lot of rumors about the family, the biggest being that there are 'monsters' living in her house. Supposedly, you're able to hear screams in the night and see 'angels of death' coming and going." Allen knew from how Komui said it that the angels of death in question were probably Akuma. "We sent a couple Finders, but needless to say, they didn't return."

Allen swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "But why me?"

"Well, the biggest reason is that you're also of marrying age," Komui replied. He acted as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then why not Lavi or Kanda?"

"Kanda's on a mission right now, and Lavi would be too busy hitting on Miss Lambert to concentrate on the mission." Komui picked up his coffee mug with the pink rabbit on it. "You also can tell Akuma apart from normal humans, which is a major advantage."

Allen didn't want to say it, but he had to. "I've gone temporarily blind in my eye."

Komui choked on his coffee. He coughed and spluttered for a few minutes before saying hoarsely, "You can't see Akuma anymore?"

"Not until my eye heals." Allen felt useless. This was the second time his eye had failed him, but this time Komui had been counting on it for the mission.

"I'll go too," Lenalee said simply.

"How does that solve anything?" Komui asked. Apparently, Allen had missed some conversation.

"If there are two of us, it'll be less likely for an Akuma to sneak up behind one of us. We'll watch each other's backs."

"Wait, two of us?" Allen repeated. "What about Inspector Link?"

Komui sighed and rubbing the bridge of his nose in minor frustration. "I'm afraid Lvellie is still detaining him with something or another. He'd be useful right now, I think." He glanced up and noticed that Allen was crestfallen. "What's this? Do you miss him?"

"No!" Allen replied. The truth was, though, that he'd become fond of the sweet-toothed inspector. It felt strange not having Link following him everywhere or yelling at him to eat healthier while he ate his weight in sweets. "I just thought he'd be good to have around, since he's good at spotting things before I do."

"I guess you guys were thinking the same thing!" Lenalee said, breaking up the sidetracked conversation. "So, Komui, can I go on the mission too?"

"Well..." Komui didn't seem convinced.

"Allen's never been to a party like this before," she pointed out. Allen nodded in agreement. "He won't know what to do or how to act around all the rich people."

"But—"

"If a dress is an issue, I'll wear the one you got me for my birthday that I haven't worn anywhere yet. It's so pretty, it'll be perfect for the occasion." Lenalee smiled a heart-melting smile, which forced Komui to agree.

"Great! I'll see you in a few minutes, Allen!" she said before leaving the room.

Komui handed Allen a bag. "Put that on. You both will be taking a coach to the party so as not to draw too much attention by just appearing out of nowhere."

Allen accepted the bag. _What have I gotten myself into...?_

_

* * *

_

Woot! End of chapter one! I hope you all like it so far! I put a lot of effort into this one.

Like always, please point out any errors I might have made in the fic. All help is greatly appreciated.


	2. A Turn for the Worse

**Chapter 2: A Turn for the Worse**

It didn't take long for Allen to realize he was a wallflower. As soon as he and Lenalee arrived at the party, Allen had practically attached himself to the wall. He'd leave the dancing to Lenalee.

"Shy, aren't we?"

"I'm not a very good dancer," he said, turning to the one who'd spoken. Allen blushed. She was beautiful.

Her brown hair was pulled back and her bangs were curled. Her eyes sparkled like stars. She was beauty incarnate. "Is there something on my face?" she asked, her rose red lips curling into a thin smile.

Allen's face turned an even darker shade of crimson, but he couldn't look away. He was completely entranced. "N-no..."

The girl held out a gloved hand. "My name is Genevieve Lambert," she said.

Allen felt an elbow in his side. He glanced sideways at Lenalee who whispered, "Introduce yourself and kiss her hand!"

He did as Lenalee said. He took her hand and kissed it gently. "I'm Allen Walker. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lambert."

"Please, call me Eve," she said with a smile. "Miss Lambert's much too formal, and Genevieve is far too long."

Lenalee curtsied. "I'm glad we've finally made your acquaintance, Miss Eve," she said warmly.

Eve frowned, but didn't say anything to Lenalee. "So, Allen, is it?" She offered her hand to him again.

Allen was confused. He looked at Lenalee for a cue again. "She wants you to ask her to dance," Lenalee whispered.

"Then why doesn't she ask me?"

"Because it is not customary in polite society for a woman to ask a man," Eve answered for Lenalee. "Allen, may I inquire if this is your first time at a soirée such as this?"

"Allen's not one for parties," Lenalee said quickly. "As you saw before, he normally tries to hide in the back to avoid having to remember such complicated etiquette."

Eve's smile widened. "Well, then it's a good thing I'm not one for such complicated rules of etiquette either." She took Allen's hand and swept him onto the dance floor.

"So, Allen," she said conversationally as they danced, "what has brought you to our little get-together?"

"Just some interest in some rumors I've heard," Allen replied. He was watching their feet to avoid stepping on her. He wasn't the best dancer in the universe.

Eve seemed to catch on to his apprehension in dancing and started to lead. "I hope they aren't the 'angel of death' rumors again."

"So you're aware of them?"

"I hear them all the time. It's nothing new." The song ended and a new one began—a slower song. She stepped closer to him. "What are your hobbies?"

"Hobbies?" Allen repeated. He cast around his brain for some sort of answer. "Well, I like playing cards, especially Poker."

"Ah, I wish I could play," Eve said with a sigh. "My mother says it's a game for men and that high society women shouldn't play. Maybe we could play it together sometime."

Someone tapped Allen on the shoulder. "May I?" the man asked.

"I'll see you later, Allen," Eve said with a sweet smile. She allowed the new man to cut in, leaving Allen a little lost at the edge of the dance floor.

"So, did she say anything?" Lenalee asked when Allen made his way back to her.

Allen shrugged. "She knows about the rumors and seems kind of irritated by them," he replied.

"You told her why we're here?" Lenalee was furious. "Allen! What were you thinking?"

"I-I didn't tell her anything!" Allen managed to choke out. He hadn't expected Lenalee to get so mad, and her fury was scaring him. It was like talking to Kanda. "She asked why we were here, and I said I'd heard rumors. She's the one who came up with the 'angel of death' rumor."

Lenalee took a deep breath to calm herself. She was still irked, but she wasn't about to hurt him now. "Okay, just don't let her in on anything else," she said. "Keep an eye out for anything—"

"Excuse me, Miss," a man said, offering Lenalee his hand. "May I have this dance?"

Lenalee sighed and took the man's hand. The man swept her away, across the dance floor. Allen, once again, was completely alone and left to prop up a wall.

After a few minutes, Allen felt an arm wrap around his. Surprised, he turned to see Eve holding onto his arm. "Miss Eve! I thought you were off dancing?"

"I excused myself. Allen, can we talk a moment? In private?" She looked up at him with bedroom eyes.

Allen felt a blush creep up into his cheeks. "A-about what, Miss Eve?"

"Just Eve," she corrected gently. "I can tell you what I know about those rumors. I just don't want to talk about it out here."

Allen glanced at the dance floor. Lenalee was nowhere in sight, but he couldn't miss this chance for information straight from the horse's mouth. "Where are we going to talk?"

Eve pulled him away and out the ballroom. There were a few maids and menservants rushing to and fro with trays loaded with drinks and other things for the partygoers. A few glanced at Eve leading him to one of the many rooms, but no one dared stop her or question what she was doing. They had to keep the guests happy.

"So, about those rumors," Allen asked nervously when Eve closed the door. He was ready to invoke his Innocence in case this was a trap.

Frowning, Even said, "Those rumors were started by some enemies of my family. There's nothing to them at all."

She took a step closer to Allen, who took a step back. "But rumors have to start somewhere," he said meekly. "There are rumors that monsters live here and that people sometimes come in and don't come out." He'd made up the second one, but Finders had disappeared. Allen wished he hadn't come here without Lenalee. He couldn't tell if Eve was an Akuma in disguise with his eye out of commission. He had to be ready for the worst.

"True, rumors always start somewhere," she said. Her arms snaked behind his neck and pulled his face closer, "but do I look like someone who'd lie?" Their faces were inches apart.

Allen felt his heart pounding. He couldn't understand why, though. He'd only just met this forward girl. "W-we should g-go back to the party," he managed to stutter. "I-I'm sure—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Eve had pushed her lips against his, and his brain shut off. He couldn't think anymore of anything else. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer. He had no idea why, but he knew he was in love with this girl. Even more than Lenalee...

Allen broke from the kiss. "Lenalee! I completely forgot about her!" He released Eve and went to the door. He frowned when he looked into the hallway. "Um... Which way is it back to the ballroom?" he asked uselessly.

Eve laughed, linked her arm with his, and led the way back.

* * *

During the time Allen was gone, Lenalee had been dancing with a couple men. When she finally got a break in the dances, Lenalee went back to where she'd left Allen. Of course, he was gone. "Where did he go?" she muttered, staring around the crowded room for her white-haired partner.

"Excuse me, Miss."

Lenalee turned. "Yes?" she asked the servant who'd just spoken.

"Care for something to drink?" he asked, holding out a tray with a glass of water on it. The other glasses were all empty, so he was probably trying to get rid of the last one so he could head back to the kitchen for a short break.

"Thank you very much." Lenalee took the glass drank it down quickly. She hadn't realized how thirsty she'd been until he'd offered it to her.

The servant took the empty glass, placed it on his tray, and ambled out of the room. Lenalee followed him with her eyes, hoping that maybe Allen was in his vicinity.

"Excuse me, Miss. May I have this dance?"

Lenalee sighed as she was whisked onto the dance floor for the umpteenth time that night. She was getting tired, and her feet felt like they'd fall off. All she wanted to do was sit down.

The song started, and the man twirled her around the floor. Lenalee blinked. Had everything just gone blurry? The man placed an arm behind her back and held her hand with the other. Lenalee kept dancing, but the room was spinning. She felt warm—too warm.

Shakily, Lenalee stopped dancing and put a hand to her forehead. Even through her silk gloves, she could feel the heat radiating from her forehead.

"Miss?" the man asked. His voice sounded so far away. It was like she was underwater. "Miss, are you all right?"

Lenalee felt her legs give way and she fell to the ground in a heap. The world was spinning around her.

"Lenalee!"

Lenalee looked up and was barely able to make out Allen's face in the crowd around her.

"Lenalee! Are you all right? What's wrong?"

Lenalee managed to sit up. She closed her eyes against the surreally bright, spinning world around her and put her hand against her pounding head. "I just felt a little faint is all," she managed to whisper. Her throat felt like it was on fire.

Eve signaled to one of the maids, who set down her tray and came closer. "Please take her to one of the parlors. I think she's falling ill."

The maid nodded and helped Lenalee stand. Allen tried to follow as they left the room, but Eve stopped him. "She'll be fine," Eve promised. "I have a friend who danced too much at a ball like this one and fainted. A little rest and some water and Miss Lenalee will perk right back up."

Allen still wanted to follow Lenalee, but he couldn't rightly leave Eve after she'd assured him Lenalee would be fine. Allen had to think of a good excuse! _Think!_ "I promised Lenalee's brother I would make sure she was okay," he said at last. "I really should stay with her..."

"No need to worry," Eve said, taking Allen by the hand and pulling him back onto the dance floor. "My maids will take perfectly good care of her."

Allen glanced out the huge window, where Timcanpy was sitting on the balcony watching them. Allen made a quick, unnoticed gesture to follow Lenalee, and Timcanpy did as Allen asked. He took flight, bobbed a few moments as he searched the outside for a way in, and shot away like a bullet.

Eve forced him to dance with her, and once they started, Allen couldn't help but enjoy it. The problem with Lenalee still nagged at the corner of his mind, but he knew Timcanpy would come if something happened. So, he'd just enjoy himself for now.

* * *

Lenalee tried walking while the maid helped her along, but all she could do was wobble while the maid practically dragged her. Her knees gave way again.

"It looks like you need some help."

The maid looked up. "Oh! Sir! Yes, please help," she said.

Lenalee looked up. Her vision was blurred, so all she could make out was a nice suit and tanned skin. She couldn't see his face very well.

The man scooped her up, a hand behind her back for support and the other under her knees. "I'll take her to the parlor I was just in," he said. "There's some water in there already."

"I'll tell the young mistress that," the maid said. "She and her friend looked worried." The maid curtseyed and returned to the party.

Lenalee's head lolled against the man's chest. She smelled the strong scent of vanilla and cigarettes, making her feel even more ill. She felt the man carry her and stop when he reached a door. Once inside the small parlor, the man set her gently down on the couch and handed her a glass of ice water.

Suddenly thirsty, Lenalee chugged the glass of water. She placed it on the small coffee table. The man refilled it from the pitcher. Still thirsty, she chugged another glass. The man continued to refill it after Lenalee tried to quench her unending thirst.

She put down the glass, expecting some more water, but the man put down the empty pitcher. "I think that's enough," the man commented. "You wouldn't want too much."

Lenalee's throat was dry and on fire. She felt even worse than she had before she'd drunk the water. Her whole body was going numb. She couldn't see clearly, and what she could see was spinning.

The man stood and walked around the table. "I think you're far enough gone for this."

Lenalee's mind was slowing down. She couldn't think straight. "What... do you mean?" she croaked.

The man took her by the shoulder and pushed her so she was lying down. "What do you think I'm going to do? Oh wait, those drugs I slipped you should be stopping you from doing that, exorcist."

Lenalee tried to struggle. It was starting to make sense, even to her slowed mind. She squinted up at the person holding her down. She recognized the face, even if she couldn't see straight. "Tyki!" she cried hoarsely. She forced her arms between her and him and tried to push him away, but she passed right through. Desperate, she tried to invoke her Innocence, but her Dark Boots wouldn't react—she was too drugged.

Tyki chuckled and stroked her face. "I am so going to enjoy this, Miss Heart." He grabbed the fabric of her dress and ripped it away. He cursed. "Why the hell would an exorcist wear a corset?" he grumbled.**1** "You don't even have it that tight."

Lenalee tried to cry out for help, but her throat was too dry for her to make much noise. She couldn't fight back, either. _Allen!_ she sobbed mentally. _Allen!_

* * *

Timcanpy rushed to the balcony where Allen and Eve were now standing. Tim didn't even care that Eve was there. Lenalee was in trouble.

Timcanpy dived, accidentally head butting Allen in the process. Allen rubbed his head where Timcanpy had run into him. "Tim? What's up?"

Irritated, Timcanpy bit onto Allen's hair and pulled. "Did something happen to Lenalee?" he asked.

Eve had been shocked by the sudden appearance of the strange creature, but she soon regained her voice. "What is that thing?" she asked.

Allen ignored her. "Tim! Take me to where Lenalee is!"

Timcanpy rushed into the building, too quick for any of the partygoers to notice. He waited in the hallway across the way for Allen to catch up. He wanted to bite Allen for bringing the girl along, but this was too important to waste time on getting rid of her. He led them to where Lenalee was.

* * *

Lenalee let out a silent scream as she felt Tyki stroke her bare side. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was about to happen.

The door banged open. "Lenalee!" Allen shouted. He saw Tyki and felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle. "Tyki," he growled, invoking his Innocence. He heard a gasp from behind him as Eve saw the Crowned Clown.

Tyki frowned, his hands still on his belt. "Well, it seems your little friend has interrupted our fun," he commented before leaping off of Lenalee and passing through the wall into the night sky beyond.

Allen didn't deactivate his Crowned Clown after Tyki left. There was always the possibility that the sadistic Noah would return. Instead, he rushed to Lenalee's side. "Lenalee! Are you all right? Please, answer me!"

All Lenalee could manage was a choked sob. She still couldn't move, so she couldn't respond with words. She felt the hot tears in her eyes.

Allen noticed them too and finally deactivated his Innocence. He tugged his jacket off and wrapped it around Lenalee gently. She looked so pale. "Everything's going to be fine," he said. "Don't worry. I won't let anything else happen to you." He took her hand. Her skin was cold and clammy and her breathing was too fast and shallow. _She's going into shock!_

Eve seemed to notice too. "I'll see if there's a doctor here," she said, rushing out of the room. Allen hardly heard her, he was so worried.

"Lenalee, everything's fine," he kept repeating, hoping it would help somehow. "I'll protect you... Lenalee, you're going to be fine."

The door opened again, and a short, middle-aged man entered. He saw Lenalee and knelt beside her and Allen. "What happened?" he asked Allen. He eyed the torn dress she was still wearing under Allen's coat.

"Miss Lenalee felt sick while she was dancing, and when she came here to rest a little, a strange man was in here trying to... to... oh God!" Even covered her mouth as if she would be sick.

The man nodded, not taking his eyes off Lenalee's pale face. He felt her cheek, and frowned. "Actually, I think she's through the worst of the shock," he said in surprise. He glanced around the room and noticed the empty pitcher and glass. "Did she drink this?" he asked.

"I don't know," Allen said quickly. "We got here just in time to stop him from doing anything."

The doctor dipped his finger in some of the melted ice at the bottom and licked it off. He gagged and started coughing. "Ugh! This would be the reason for her symptoms," he said. "She's not in shock at all. She's just recovering from this drug."

"Drug?" Eve repeated. "What do you mean?"

The doctor shook his head. "I have a sensitive tongue and can taste this sort of thing... Miss Lambert, could you get one of your servants to bring some fresh water? It will help Miss Lenalee recover a little faster."

Eve nodded and stepped out of the room. The doctor turned to Allen. "I assume you know this girl?" Allen nodded, and the doctor continued, "Can you get in contact with her family?"

"I'm not about to leave her right now," Allen said coldly. His voice surprised himself. It was like he wasn't the one talking. "S-sorry. I just..."

"I understand you're worried," the doctor said, "but you really ought to contact her family about what has happened. Also, I should check to make sure nothing happened."

Allen sighed. _So he's just trying to get rid of me to examine Lenalee,_ he thought. "I'm sorry, but I don't really trust you..."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm going to try something? I have a wife, three kids, and I've helped at least four women give birth. Believe me, there's nothing I haven't seen."

Allen blushed. "Sorry, but..."

The doctor sighed. "Well, I'm not about to allow a non-family member such as yourself to stay in the room."

"It's all right," Lenalee managed to croak. Allen and the doctor stared at her. They'd thought she'd been asleep. "Allen can stay..."

The doctor sighed. "Very well. If the patient says so, I can't really argue." Slowly, so as not to scare Lenalee, he lifted her skirt up. Allen averted his eyes, blushing. He'd seen it all before, but it was still a little embarrassing.

The doctor lowered her skirt. "Miss... Have you... had _sex_ with someone before now?"

Some color returned to Lenalee's cheeks as she blushed. "W-why do you ask?" she asked. "Is there something wrong?"

The doctor shook his head. "No, no... I'm just... Never mind," he said. Allen could hear the note of disgust in his voice. "Are you married?"

"No."

The doctor frowned, but didn't say anything else relating to Lenalee's obvious lack of morals. He turned to Allen. "She'll be fine. Nothing happened to her except for the drugs." Allen could tell by his voice that he suspected Allen of being the one responsible for Lenalee's loss of virginity. Of course, Allen wasn't about to tell him that his suspicions were correct.

"You're sure?" Allen asked. "The drugs won't hurt her at all?"

The doctor shook his head. "No. There are no long-term effects to the drug.**2** Just short-term dehydration and possibly some dizzy spells."

Allen breathed a sigh of relief. He heard the door open and saw Eve with the maid that had helped Lenalee to the parlor. He had the sudden urge to throw the empty pitcher at the woman, but realized that might not be a good idea, especially since the maid was in hysterics.

"I am so sorry," she sobbed. "If I'd stayed with her, none of this would have happened!"

"It's okay," Allen said. It was never a good idea to be rude to someone so upset. "Lenalee's all right."

The doctor took the pitcher from the maid and poured a crystal clear glass of water for Lenalee. "Don't drink it too quickly, Miss," he said.

Lenalee sipped it. The ice water hurt at first as it went down her throat, but the pain eventually went away. She put down the glass and took a deep breath. Already she was feeling a lot better.

"See? Nothing to worry about." The doctor stood. "Still, it's getting late, and you're in no condition to travel."

Eve smiled. "I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind if you and Allen spent the night, especially after all that's happened."

Allen breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you very much."

"Many of the guests have already gone home," Eve said, "so I ought to have someone show you to your rooms." She turned to her maid, who had finally calmed down. "Can I trust you to do that?"

The maid nodded vigorously. "Of course! I swear, I won't allow anything to happen this time."

"Also, can you make sure their rooms are close to mine?" Eve asked. "Just in case they need anything, I want to be a good hostess. Oh, and give Miss Lenalee one of my nightgowns and a dress for tomorrow."

The maid nodded and curtseyed to both Lenalee and Allen. "Please follow me," she said.

Lenalee stood and swayed dangerously. Allen caught her. "Are you—"

"I'm fine," Lenalee assured him. She held his jacket more tightly around her and they started walking.

* * *

Allen took a deep breath before he knocked on the door.

"Allen?" Eve asked, rubbing her eye sleepily. She was in a nightgown and hadn't bothered to wear her robe to answer the bedroom door. "Is something wrong?"

"I just wanted to thank you," Allen said, bowing slightly. "You've done quite a bit for Lenalee and me. I also wanted to apologize for believing those rumors."

Eve giggled and went back in her room. She paused and asked, "Aren't you coming? I thought you might want to talk a little."

Allen felt himself blush as he entered the room. It was bright because of the lamp on her bedside table. Against one wall was a writing desk with a neat stack of decorated stationary on it. Next to that was a four poster bed with the curtains drawn back.

Eve sat down on the bed and patted the space next to her for Allen. He stayed standing. "I doubt you wanted to come just to thank me and to apologize," she said. "Is there something else on your mind, Allen?"

Allen felt his blush deepen. He wasn't sure _why_ he'd come either. His eye had throbbed a little, and then he'd just decided out of the blue to see her.

Eve stood up again. "Or... is it you want something else?" she asked, her voice low and seductive. She inched closer, and then pressed her body against his. "You can have me," she said. Her lips were so close to his again.

Allen didn't wait for her to initiate the kiss this time. He mashed his against hers and felt his heart skip a beat again. He felt Eve's tongue trying to find a way into his mouth, and he allowed it.

The next thing Allen knew, they were on her bed, with him on top. Shocked, he pulled away, eyes wide. _When...?_ He couldn't remember taking off his shirt or pushing Eve onto the bed. He grabbed his discarded shirt and put it back on.

Eve sat up and crossed her arms. "Allen?" Allen could hear the disappointment in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"I..." he couldn't tell her he'd blacked out that whole time. "I just... don't feel right... doing that after what happened to Lenalee."

Frowning, Eve stood and hugged Allen. "The doctor said she'd be fine," she pointed out, "and our doing something won't hurt her at all, will it?"

Allen felt himself blush again. "I... I have to go!" He fled from the room. _What's going on here?_ he thought when he'd finally gotten back to his own room. He heard the door behind him open.

Allen spun around, ready to invoke his Innocence in case it was an Akuma. He stopped when he saw it was Lenalee. "Sorry," he said. "I've been a little on edge."

Lenalee smiled. "I figured that. Has your eye been bothering you at all?"

"It hurt a little bit a few minutes ago," Allen said, "but it doesn't right now."

Lenalee kissed Allen. "Allen, can I stay with you tonight?" she asked. "I guess I'm a little on edge right now after what happened... so..."

Allen hugged Lenalee close. "Of course you can stay," he whispered.

They both went to bed, Allen holding Lenalee from behind. Allen hugged Lenalee tighter. "Lenalee... I need to tell you something, and I don't think you'll like it."

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Don't tell me you've been scrubbing at your eye when I wasn't looking." She laughed.

"I wish it were that simple." Allen buried his face in Lenalee's hair. It smelled so sweet... "I... don't know what happened, but... I kissed Miss Eve."

Lenalee sat up and stared at him. "You... what?"

"I don't know what happened!" Allen repeated quickly. He couldn't tell in the darkness if Lenalee was mad at him or what, but it would drive him insane if he didn't tell her the truth. "I blacked out right after and somehow I ended up in bed with her. Nothing happened," Allen added quickly. "I snapped out of it before anything happened."

Allen heard Lenalee sigh and then felt the familiar warmth of her body against his. "At least you told me," she whispered softly. "I'll forgive you for now since you blacked out, but if it happens again for any reason, I swear I'll kill you."

"Thank you, Lenalee," Allen whispered back.

"I love you, Allen," Lenalee said, snuggling closer.

"I love you too, Lenalee," Allen replied. It was a good thing she'd already nodded off. His response had been half-hearted, and she would have been pissed.

* * *

**1** Corsets were commonly worn in that time period. Small waists and all were popular.

**2** I made up a drug. As far as I know, there are no real life drugs that have these effects on humans.

Thanks for reading! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you, Lenalee, Junoan! (you know who you are!) To everyone else, thanks again for reading, and thank you for being patient. See you next chapter!


	3. Snow Queen

**Chapter 3: The Snow Queen**

Light from the window spilled across the bed, waking Allen with a start. He bolted upright in bed and stared at the maid who'd just opened the curtains. She stared back at him, eyes wide from shock.

"Mr. Walker..." she said, aghast. "May I ask why..." but she couldn't finish the sentence. Instead, she just pointed at Lenalee, who had rolled away from the light of the window.

"Er... Lenalee... uh..."

Lenalee sat up and rubbed her eyes blearily. "Oh, did I sleepwalk again?" she asked drowsily. That was their excuse if one was caught in the other's room: they sleepwalked there.

The maid breathed a sigh of relief. Allen recognized her as the maid from the night before. "Oh, is that all." She curtseyed politely. "I apologize for waking you, but breakfast is being served downstairs in a few minutes. Miss Lee, please come with me back to your room. A dress is ready for you to wear."

"Thank you very much," Lenalee replied brightly before getting out of bed. "See you at breakfast, Allen."

Allen nodded. Once they were both gone, he rubbed his eye furiously. It was throbbing again, much more painfully this time than all the other occasions. _What's going on?_ he thought irritably. _Why does my eye keep hurting?_

The next thing Allen knew, he was in a small dining room. _When did I get here?_

"Allen!" Eve called from the table. She waved happily and signaled for him to sit next to her. Allen, of course, sat on the other side of the table, next to where Lenalee would sit. He could tell Eve was a little disappointed, but since last night, he didn't want to risk blacking out and doing something stupid again.

"Good morning," the middle-aged man sitting at the end said. "Mr. Walker, was it? It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Our lovely Eve hasn't stopped talking about you yet."

Allen felt his face redden. "I assume you're Mr. Lambert?"

"That's correct," the man replied. "So, what's this I hear about you—"

"Good morning," Lenalee said brightly. She sat next to Allen. "I apologize for imposing on you all like this."

"It's no trouble," the woman Allen assumed was Eve's mother said. "It's horrible what happened last night, and it should be we who apologize. I'm afraid our hired help isn't the best these days."

The maid standing off to the side blushed. Allen felt bad for her. There wasn't any way she could have known what would happen. It wasn't really her fault she couldn't see Tyki for what he really was. He himself had fallen for Tyki's facade once, after all.

"Anyway," Mr. Lambert said with a cough to attract the attention back to him. "Mr. Walker, what is this I've heard from my daughter about you asking for her hand?"

Allen choked on the sausage he'd just been served. "W-what?" he managed to say between coughs.

"Last night," Eve said, as if reminding a child of their birthday, "you told me that you were in love with me and wanted us married as soon as my parents would allow."

Allen could feel Lenalee's cold stare next to him. "I... I..." His eye throbbed again. "I would be delighted if you would allow it. After all, she is the most lovely woman I've ever met," he said almost mechanically to Eve's parents.

Lenalee kicked him hard under the table. Allen blinked. His leg hurt more than his eye now, and he had no clue why.

"Excuse us a moment," Lenalee said, her voice oddly even. To anyone else, it would have seemed like nothing was wrong, but to Allen, who knew her better than her own brother, it sounded like she was going to murder someone.

"Allen," Lenalee growled when they left the room. She spun to face him, her brow furrowed. "What was all that about?"

"I don't know what they're talking about!" Allen said quickly. "I don't remember saying any of that!"

"Then what was that you just said to her parents? You told them you'd love to marry her!"

Allen's eyes widened. "I don't remember saying that either! My eye hurt, and then you kicked me!"

Lenalee frowned, making Allen nervous. The longer she stayed silent, the more Allen wanted to beg her to forgive him, to believe him.

Finally, Allen couldn't take it anymore. "Lenalee, I—"

"Allen, have you ever heard the story of the snow queen?" Lenalee asked.

"No," he said, relieved that she wasn't ripping his head off. "Why?"

"In the story, a boy gets shards of the Snow Queen's mirror in his eyes and heart. He falls in love with the evil Snow Queen because of this and leaves to her castle."**1**

Allen didn't follow her logic. "Wait... So you think my eye's hurting because of a mirror or something?"

Lenalee shrugged. "It's the only explanation I can think of, and it makes sense if you consider the circumstances. The _angels of death_ people see around here are probably Akuma. If we assume that the Earl is orchestrating most of this, then it's possible that you're under some kind of spell. If we assume that's true, then everything adds up."

"Then how do I—"

"Allen," Eve said, poking her head through the door from the dining room. "Um... Is something wrong? Is the food not to your liking or..."

"Everything's fine," Allen assured her. "Nothing's wrong. In fact, everything's great. Lenalee was just getting nervous about overstaying our welcome is all."

Lenalee frowned at Allen, but didn't say a word. She wanted to keep a closer eye on how he acted without her interference. If it really was some kind of spell, she should be able to see some sign of it.

"You'd never overstay your welcome," Eve said. She took his hand and pulled him back into the dining room. "Besides, we can't expect you to leave without a good breakfast."

There it was! Lenalee saw Allen's cursed eye darken for a moment, as if something almost lens-like had passed over the iris, leaving it a duller silver much to Lenalee's horror. If that was the spell on him, it seemed to be sticking a little more with each pass.

_That would explain why Allen can't remember things,_ Lenalee thought. It made perfect sense now. No one at the Order had noticed the strange spell because it wasn't very strong then. Only Allen noticed because his cursed eye was probably rejecting the foreign substance that acted as the odd lens. While they were at the party, he was with Eve, who was probably making the spell act in hyper-drive. If Lenalee's hypothesis was correct, Allen's black outs were from the spell passing over his eye and sticking longer.

Lenalee followed close behind them, barely making it inside the room as Allen attempted to close the door on her. They sat at the table, and Allen's dull eye brightened again. Allen blinked, glanced around in minor confusion, then rubbed his eye. Lenalee didn't attempt to stop him this time.

"May I use your phone?" Lenalee asked politely.

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Lambert said. "Nicole, could you show Miss Lee where it is?"

Lenalee sighed as the maid from the night before approached. By now, she was positive the woman wasn't an Akuma, but that didn't mean she wasn't a threat. Lenalee didn't trust the woman simply because her ignorance had caused enough trouble for the two exorcists already.

Nicole, as the maid was named, apologized profusely while they walked. "It's all right," Lenalee kept having to repeat. "You didn't know that was going to happen."

They reached the room with the phone and Lenalee somehow able to shoo the maid away. Once she was sure the maid was gone, she pulled out her golem and called her brother.

_"LENALEE!"_ he brother half-sobbed. _"I was so worried about you! Allen called saying something had happened, but he wouldn't say what and—"_

"I'm fine," Lenalee interrupted. "I'll give you the details in the report. Look, there's something really important I have to tell you. Allen's under some kind of spell."

_"Spell?"_ Komui repeated. _ "What do you mean?"_

"I think Genevieve Lambert is a Noah."

_"WHAT?! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!!!"_

"There's a big problem with that. Allen's under some spell, remember? The spell is making Allen fall in love with her. I don't think we'll be able to get out of here."

_"This isn't good... Lenalee, do you know any details of the spell?"_

"It seems to be like that fairytale, the Snow Queen," Lenalee admitted. "Remember how Allen kept saying something was in his eye? I think it has to do with that."

There was silence on the other end, only broken by papers shuffling and complaints from the people waiting for Komui's approval. _"Well... If it's like the story... Try to get whatever's in Allen's eye out the best you can. We can't bring him back to the Order if he's being influenced by the Noah or, worse, the Earl. We may have to bind him and his Innocence upon return. Be careful, Lenalee."_

"But I don't have any idea how to get it out!"

Komui sighed. Lenalee could practically see him rubbing his eyes trying to think of a way out of this mess. _"Let's see..."_ he mumbled. _"In the story, the boy cried the shards out when his friend was hurt, the shard in his heart was melted by the love he felt for his friend... Somehow, I don't think that's going to work. It's way too dangerous."_ There was another pause, then, _"Lenalee! I know this is going to sound crazy, but you have to let the spell run its course. Once he's completely under the spell, you have to—"_

Dead silence. "Komui?" Lenalee asked. "Komui!" There was nothing on the other end, not even static. Lenalee redialed, readjusted her golem's hold on the wire, but still nothing came out of the phone. She stared at the broken phone a moment, then hung up.

"Excuse me, Nicole?"

The maid entered the room. "Yes, Miss Lee?"

"Do you have another phone? This one seems to not be working."

Nicole blinked. She took the phone and dialed a few times and listened to the silent receiver. "That's odd..." She knelt down and checked the phone plug. "There's nothing wrong with it. What—"

"Nicole!" Another maid rushed into the room. Lenalee was surprised to see that she was holding a few pots and pans in a precarious stack. "Hurry! The roof's leaking terribly! Grab some pots."

"The rain must be messing with the phone lines," Nicole said before running after the other maid.

_Damn it!_ Lenalee thought. Now what was she supposed to do? Komui was about to say something, but what? She had no idea what to do! Irritated, Lenalee wandered back to the dining room she'd been in before, only to find that everyone had disappeared.

"Miss Lee," a servant said, bowing, "Miss Lambert has asked me to escort you to the parlor when you finish your breakfast."

Lenalee hadn't realized how long she'd been gone. "I'm finished," she said. The man nodded and led her down a hallway. "Um... May I ask when this rain started?"

"Just before you started eating," he said dismissively. "It only got worse a few minutes ago. I'm afraid the roads are flooded."

They stopped and the servant opened the door for Lenalee. He bowed again as Lenalee walked inside, and closed the door quietly behind her.

The parlor wasn't the same one from the night before. This one was larger, big enough for a small social gathering. Allen was sitting on a couch next to Eve, a book in his lap and her leaning on his shoulder to read the text with him. There was no sign of her parents, which made Lenalee worry about what could have happened in her absence.

Eve glanced up. "Miss Lee, don't stand there looking awkward. Have a seat." She gestured to another couch across from theirs, the space between the two taken up by a glass coffee table.

Lenalee did as Eve instructed, only taking her eyes off her long enough to look into Allen's. It was worse than she thought. Both of his eyes, once bright like polished silver, were now dull and seemingly covered by an almost ice-like film. The spell had spread.

"Allen," Lenalee said uncertainly.

The white-haired exorcist didn't look up. He only turned the page and continued reading.

"Dear, our guest's talking to you," Eve said, stroking his far cheek so as to turn his face to her.

Allen blinked, then his empty eyes swept over Lenalee slowly. There wasn't an ounce of recognition in them. He didn't say a word, but simply nodded mechanically and returned to his book.

Lenalee was too shocked by Allen's uninterested behavior to notice the change in Eve. By the time she looked at the girl, Eve was standing, her skin dark and black crosses even darker on her skin.

"Now I don't need you anymore," Eve said, her voice like ice.

Before Lenalee could so much as react, ice crept around her feet until they were encased in the cold, frozen crystals. Lenalee tried to tug her feet free, but the ice continued to slither up her legs. In a last desperate attempt, Lenalee activated her Dark Boots.

The Innocence reacted, but the cracks in the ice vanished soon after they appeared, as if the crystals were healing themselves. Lenalee tried to free her legs, but the encasement held firm.

The ice was up to her middle and still growing in spikes. Eve came closer, a cold, sadistic smile the only expression on her face. "If Tyki had taken care of you like he was supposed to rather than look for pleasure, I wouldn't have to be doing this now." She reached out and touched Lenalee's cheek with an icy hand. "Such a waist, turning a lovely girl like you into an ice sculpture... I suppose I could always make you a slave like the rest of my servants."

A small shard of ice, almost like glass, appeared in Eve's hand. "Don't worry, it will only hurt a little. Just ask Allen." Eve held Lenalee's face still.

Lenalee barely freed her almost frostbitten hand and smacked the Noah's arm away. It was like hitting a frozen wall—the shock of the impact stung, but the cold instantly numbed the sting with a whole new sensation.

Eve dropped the small fragment, which shattered and melted instantly on the floor. The Noah cursed under her breath and waved her hand.

As if in response, two spikes of ice shot up and held Lenalee's arms out to the side. Lenalee gasped in pain as the force almost ripped her arms out of their sockets.

"Bad choice, girl," Eve growled. She came closer and glared into Lenalee's eyes. Another shard of ice appeared in her hand. "I'm trying to do you a favor. If you're my servant, you'll be able to see your precious Allen."

"I'd rather die than be your servant and watch you torture Allen."

"Torture?" Eve repeated. "What makes you think it's torture?" She retreated back to Allen and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Allen loves me."

"No, he doesn't," Lenalee replied, her voice as cold as the ice imprisoning her. "It's your spell doing it. He loves you no more than he loves Road."

Eve glared and stepped back from Allen. "Oh? And how would you know?" Lenalee's silence made her smile another sadistic smile. "So you think he loves you?"

"I _know_ he loves me."

Eve was astonished by Lenalee's answer, but her composure returned within a second. "Really? Then why don't I show you just how wrong you are." She snapped her fingers. "Allen, kill her."

Allen stood up and walked closer to Lenalee, almost like a marionette with a few strings cut. He lifted his Innocence arm, and the Crown Clown appeared in a flash.

A stab of fear shot through Lenalee as she watched Allen approach with the claw arm at the ready. He stopped a few feet from her, tilting his head. Lenalee could see something in his eyes—something behind the ice-film.

"What are your waiting for?" Eve snapped. "Kill her!"

A pained expression flitted across Allen's features, but it soon vanished, along with the small something in his eyes. He grabbed his wrist, and his clawed arm transformed into a sword.

The panic that had been flooding through Lenalee froze, as if the ice around her had frozen it along with the rest of her. What was Allen doing? For a fleeting moment, she thought he was going to turn on Eve, but he didn't. He just continued in his steady approach until he was barely a foot away from her. She cast a hasty glance at Eve, who didn't seem to notice anything wrong with the sudden turn of events.

It was at that moment that something enter her body. Her eyes shot back to Allen, who had just put his sword through her chest, straight through her heart.

Lenalee had never been stabbed by Allen's Innocence before, but she knew that the weapon couldn't and wouldn't harm humans. She was surprised by how it felt; it was like a radiating warmth was where the blade had contact with her. It didn't hurt. In fact, it almost felt like... She couldn't describe the feeling.

She realized she'd closed her eyes and reopened them. She stared into Allen's filmy eyes, and realized there was something different about them. There were cracks in the once perfect ice, and the cracks were growing with every tear that rolled down Allen's cheeks. The filmy lens was melting, and what remained of the shards rolled down his cheeks as he wept.

"Allen," Lenalee said gently. She smiled as Allen looked up at her, wide-eyed. "You didn't really think that that would kill me, right?"

"L-Lenalee!" Allen gasped. The last shard fell out of his cursed eye and hit the ground. He swung his sword, cutting through the ice the Noah had conjured. "I'm sorry! I—"

Lenalee rubbed her wrists, which were so close to frostbite she worried that the numbness would never lift. "It doesn't matter right now. We have more important things to worry about."

"I-impossible!" Eve cried, her voice like cracking ice. "You should be dead! He stabbed right through you! I saw it!"

"Well, obviously you don't know Allen as well as you thought," Lenalee said, the smile she'd had for Allen turning into a smirk as she watched Eve panic.

Eve took a step back. "Akuma!" she called, causing Allen's eye to activate as the Akuma rushed to her. "Slaves! Everyone!"

The door burst open. One level four, one level three, and one level two appeared at her call. A swarm of maids and servants—Nicole among them—were behind the monsters.

"Allen," Lenalee said seriously, "can I trust you to take care of Eve while I handle the Akuma."

"Of course," Allen said, launching himself at the Noah.

Lenalee smiled again. It was good to have Allen back. "Hey, Akuma!" she shouted. "Catch me if you can!" She crashed through the window and out into the heavy rain.

She didn't slosh around in the mud and puddles, but the level two—a giant fox-shaped monster—had a horrible time of it. Lenalee had no trouble destroying it before the other surprisingly slower Akuma even got out of the building.

The level three and four were a bigger challenge. Though they didn't work together in the least, they were still powerful. Lenalee knew one hit from them would be the end of her.

The level four dived for her while the level three tried to tackle her from the side. Lenalee laughed as she darted back and the two Akuma crashed into each other. The level three got the worst of the damage from the impact.

"You're worthless," the level four snapped. "Let me handle this. Come here!"

Lenalee flinched as she watched the level four rip the already trashed level three to pieces and devour the remains. She'd seen it in Japan and knew that the level four had just become more of a threat by absorbing the level three's power. Her only shot of winning was if she attacked then and there!

Her attack failed. She'd been so close to landing a critical blow on the level four, but the Akuma easily deflected her blow and sent her sprawling in the mud. Lenalee tried to stand, but slipped in the wet earth.

"You exorcists are so pathetic," the Akuma commented. It tilted its head and grimaced. "Your friend with the eye patch and the white-haired boy couldn't do anything to me. You think you can beat me, girly?"

"She doesn't have to!"

The Akuma turned just in time to watch in horror as Allen's sword hacked its arm off.

Lenalee was just as surprised as the Akuma. "Allen! I thought you were fighting Eve!"

"I was," Allen replied, taking another swing at the stunned Akuma, neatly slicing its head off. "She was pretty weak, actually."

The level four exploded, and nothing was left of the creature.**2** The threat now gone, Allen deactivated his Innocence and eye and stared up at the sky. The clouds were disappearing too rapidly for the rain to have been of natural causes. "You know, I think that Noah could control water," he said thoughtfully.

"How'd you beat her?" Lenalee asked, sloshing through the deep ponds of puddles to reach her fellow exorcist.

Allen shrugged. "She was weaker than Tyki. I guess all she could really do was that mind control thing. She probably used up a lot of power trying to turn you into an icicle."

Lenalee had to laugh. "So where is she?"

"Out cold in that room, along with the entire population of servants," Allen said with a shrug. "Probably shocked the whole lot, not being hypnotized anymore." He stopped, eyes wide. "Lenalee! What's wrong?"

Lenalee only now realized she was crying. She wiped the tears away, smearing mud on her face. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just... so happy you're all right." She felt arms wrap around her, but she didn't look up. "Allen, you'll get your nice clothes covered in mud."

"So?" Allen tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "You know, I forgot just how pretty you are."

"Allen, this isn't the time to be sweet-talking me."

"I know."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because I feel like I haven't given you enough attention in the last..." he paused, calculating the time, "forty-eight hours."

Lenalee bopped him on the head playfully. "Come on, we have to do crowd control before all those servants wake up." She walked into the building, Allen holding her hand tightly in his.

* * *

**1 **It's a fairytale. There are a bunch of different versions out there, so you might find one where the boy doesn't fall for the queen. _(shrugs)_

**2** Quite possibly the worst fight scene I've ever written. ...Or maybe the best. I don't write too many fight scenes. They're not really my thing.

Well, that's the end of this fanfic! Tell me what ya thought!

...And I'd like to know if anyone noticed a pun with this whole fic. I doubt anyone did, but I'd like to see what your guesses are.

Oh, and if you see any typos, please tell me! I hate rereading these fics and going "...Why didn't anyone point that out to me?"

Special thanks to:

RebelFlame for being my first reviewer

Lenalee from Your-Role for encouraging me to write this (even if she didn't realize she was doing it at the time)

Hoshino Katsura for creating D . Gray-Man in the first place.

My computer for only breaking down on me a little while I wrote this.

Those few people who actually point out typos and mistakes (seriously, guys, I don't bite!)

Everyone who isn't mentioned above.


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